Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that any ceasefire deal with Lebanon must ensure Israel has the "freedom to act" against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
"In any agreement we will reach, we will need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations," he told foreign ambassadors ahead of US envoy Amos Hochstein's expected arrival in Israel to discuss a truce.
"Unfortunately, Lebanon is a failed state. But we cannot pay the price in our security, in the security of our citizens, for their lack of sovereignty or concessions of sovereignty," Saar said.
"We will have to be able to act in time, before the problems will grow," he added.
Also Wednesday, Hochstein pointed to "additional progress" after his second meeting with Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation efforts on behalf of the Iran-backed group.
With Hochstein's visit to the region, Saar said "you can conclude that the Americans believe that such an arrangement is possible. The most important thing to emphasize is that we would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time".
With AFP
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